That is until a tiny little angelic voice screams out.
“OH! Mommy! Nate has his tongue in Ember’s mouth! That’s bad. Mommy and Daddy said so. You have to keep your tongue in your mouth and only when you are married can you do that! Oh, boy. You’re in trouble! Mommy!”
I regrettably break away from Ember and give her shocked eyes a wink before looking down at Molly. I’ve loved this kid since the day I met her, but right now, I’m having a hard time remembering why. I give her a smile before bending down. Not willing to give Ember a chance to freak out again, I grab her hand and pull her to my side. She almost stumbles but keeps her hand in mine while standing next to my crouched form. Molly’s eyes move from my face to our joined hands. Her mischievous expression gets a little wonky before she replaces it with a sickeningly sweet smile. Her little angelic act isn’t fooling me, though; I know she’s up to something.
“You have spit germs in your mouth now,” she scolds. “You could be sick.”
“I’m used to spit germs in my mouth.”
“You had your hand on her booty. That’s a no-touch place. Daddy said so.”
“I can touch her booty.”
“You might put a baby in her belly if you keep putting your tongue in her mouth, and Mommy said you have to be married to tongue touch spit germs and put babies in bellies. That’s how I got my baby Jack. Daddy told me so.”
“I think we’re going to be okay, Molly-Wolly.”
She tilts her head and studies my face. “I don’t like that lipstick on you.”
I look up at Ember at that, confused, and see her giggling. She points to her own dark pink lips before I realize what Molly means.
“My apologies, your highness. I vow to never wear another woman’s lipstick other than the one you deem worthy of my complexion.”
Molly giggles.
“Molly? Why don’t you let Nate and Ember come in now?”
I look up and see Molly’s mom, Megan, a few feet away. Behind her, I see my sister, Cohen, and Molly’s dad, Lee, losing the fight to keep their laughter in.
Assholes.
“It’s not that funny,” I tell them after Megan had taken Molly away from the group.
“It’s freaking hilarious,” Dani wheezes through her laughter. “Oh, Nate, I sure hope you didn’t tongue a baby into Ember.” She doubles over, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“Danielle Cage.”
She still doesn’t stop.
“I mean maybe you could keep wearing that pretty lipstick and your ‘tongue spit germ baby’ can call you mommy too.”
My jaw ticks.
“Mommy Nate,” she snorts.
Cohen backs up with one look at me, knowing that if he sticks behind his wife, he’s going to take a foot to the balls when I pick her bratty ass up. Ember lets my hand go, and I make a mental note to spank her ass later for laughing along with Dani. The second my shoulder goes into her stomach, she lets out one ungodly loud scream, but I just stomp through the entryway and into the kitchen before turning and depositing her on her feet right inside the living room. Her shoulders are turned first, and then I push her nose against the wall.
“Five minutes. Time-out, brat.”
Turning from my sister, I see Ember standing behind me with her chest still moving in silent laughter.
“Keep laughing. You’ve earned my palm later, Emberlyn.”
Her jaw drops at my growled words, and I take way too much satisfaction in seeing the blush that crawls up her chest. The minimal coverage of her sundress is not hiding how much she loves my words.
“Hey, you guys,” Maddi calls, walking from the back porch into the kitchen. “Why is Dani in the corner?”
“Because she doesn’t know how to keep her damn mouth shut,” I respond, still looking at Ember as she licks her lips. I have to bite my tongue to keep my cock in line.
“Rightttt.” Maddi laughs. “Well, I was sent to drag you outside before Molly had a chance to tell anyone other than Lyn and Lila that you two were in here making spit germ babies.”
“Oh my God,” Ember gasps in embarrassment. I, with no other option, throw my head back and laugh.
“Let’s go,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine and walking out the door.
We stand on the deck, overlooking the backyard, and I give her a reassuring squeeze. Her smile comes instantly, even if she still looks slightly self-conscious from her sister’s comment.
“I love you,” I express, offering her that reassurance to us if she needs it.
With a deep breath, her plump lips spread and she gives me one hell of a blinding smile. “I love you, too.”
“Yeah, yeah … everyone loves each other. Jerk.” Dani brushes past me with a shoulder bump meant to knock me off balance, but she stumbles against my unmoving body.